Apple can't add Galaxy S4 to Samsung patent suit, judge rules

Adding another device to the case deemed a 'tax on the court's resources'

Apple's attempt to add the Samsung Galaxy S4 to its patent infringement suit against the Korean manufacturer has failed after a judge ruled it'd consume too many court resources. Bloomberg quotes Magistrate Judge Paul S. Grewal as saying that adding another product to the case would constitute a "tax on the court's resources."

Of Samsung and Apple, Grewal said, "each time these parties appear in the courtroom, they consume considerable amounts of the courts time and energy, which takes time way from other parties who also require and are entitled to the courts attention." In response, Apple lawyer Josh Krevitt reportedly said theGS4's exclusion would require Apple to file an additional suit, as the products in the current case would be out of date by the time of the trial.

Several high-profile Samsung-made Android devices, including the Galaxy Nexus, Galaxy Note, Note 2, Note 10.1, U.S. Galaxy S2 models and the Galaxy S3 remain in contention. The original Apple-versus-Samsung patent trial ended last August in a victory for Apple, along with a $1.05 billion compensation ruling, which was later lowered to $639.4 million. The second trial is set to take place next spring.

Source: Bloomberg

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